More on Sugar – How to use the Glycemic Index

The Role of Starches & Sugars in Weight Gain, Diabetes and Heart Disease

In this final installment of my three recent blog posts about sugar I want to explore in more detail the role of starches and sugars (carbohydrates) in weight gain, diabetes and heart disease. Clearly, the greatest factor in overweight and obesity is the high consumption of refined sugar and refined flour products, which include breads and baked goods, candies, and sodas. Both refined cane sugar and more recently, high-fructose corn syrup, constitute an excess of non-nutrient calories, which rarely satisfy hunger or the body’s need for nutrition. As a result, we still need and crave food. However, if we are focused only on eating the quick, readily available foods typically around us, we’ll keep getting too many calories with too little real nutrient value and we’ll gain weight. Many of us tend to eat or overeat this way at stressful or transitional times, particularly in adolescence or in mid-life. When we add to our fat cells and the areas around our belly and hips, this is more “dangerous” weight gain and more difficult to lose. The key is to prevent added weight by replacing highly sweet and starchy foods with foods we enjoy that won’t cause weight gain.

Rather than just describing foods as simple and complex carbohydrates, they can also be rated on the Glycemic Index. Knowing about this can be helpful in choosing what foods to eat – see the chart at the end of this post. Extremely sweet or very starchy foods are high on the Index; they break down quickly and cause the release of extra insulin, burdening our metabolism. Foods low on the Index are metabolized slower and provide a steadier stream of glucose and other nutrients. As a result, they’re less work and stress for the body.

Obesity is also part of this picture. Researchers report that the link between high glycemic load (highly sweet and starchy foods) and coronary heart disease risk was most often seen in subjects with “body weights above average.” They concluded that a diet high in refined carbohydrates increases the risk of obesity and coronary heart disease.

The Value of Whole Grains and Magnesium-Rich FoodsResearches also found that a diet rich in total grain, whole grain, total dietary fiber [unrefined], cereal fiber, and dietary magnesium intake reduced the risk of diabetes. It was also found that subjects with low magnesium had the highest blood sugar levels, concluding that magnesium intake has a “modest but significant effect” on keeping blood sugar steady and stabilizing insulin metabolism. Magnesium deficiency is quite common and is related to cardiac issues and especially irregular heart rhythms. Magnesium is found in whole grains and nuts and seeds, as well as leafy green vegetables. People can also supplement with capsules of 125-250 mgs 1-2x daily. (Note: The common magnesium citrate can cause loose bowels, and many consumers use magnesium supplementation for constipation. Magnesium glycinate has a lesser affect on the bowels.)

Chromium Deficiency A review of recent information on chromium also pointed out some major findings central to our theme of the link between diet, insulin metabolism, diabetes, and heart disease. The study pointed out that the majority of people eating typical Western diets consume less than the suggested daily dietary intake of chromium, which is set at 50-200 micrograms per day. Insufficient chromium intake is associated with signs and symptoms similar to those seen in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. People with sugar issues or pre-diabetes often supplement with 200 mcgs. of chromium picolinate twice daily.

In summary, the dietary guidelines for this weight and sugar protective approach include consuming a low glycemic diet, consisting mainly of proteins and vegetables, with a focus on leafy green veggies, as well as nuts and seeds, whole grains with legumes, berries and some stone fruits. This way of eating also means lowering the intake of highly starchy foods, such as potatoes, carrots, beets and intensely sweet fruits like melons and bananas, limiting juice intake as well.

Some MoreDiet Tips If you were raised on meat and potatoes (and desserts), or if you feel that a meal without bread isn’t a meal, there are some favorite starches that are still relatively low on the Glycemic Index. Filling foods that are in the optimal range of 55 or below on the Index include:• Healthy Starches – brown rice and wild rice, whole wheat pita bread, sweet potatoes and yams, oatmeal, popcorn, seeds, nuts, and nut butters, as well as most peas and beans including black beans, pintos, limas and kidney beans• Healthy Fruits – berries, mangos, kiwis, pears and apples, stone fruits such as peaches, plums, apricots and cherries, as well as citrus such as grapefruit and oranges.

THE GLYCEMIC INDEX • Eating Low on the Index Makes Everything a Little Easier • Any food below 55 tends to conserve insulin and hormones. • It’s the blast of insulin from foods high on the Index that drives hunger cravings. • With a diet of whole foods, appetite seems to drop quite naturally.

Note: this is just a basic list to get you started. It is from my book The Detox Diet that has a whole chapter devoted to Sugar Detox. You can also search online for more complete data.

Using the Body's Biofeedback System

Our bodies feature a marvelous biofeedback system. Learning how to pay attention and listen can tell us when something is wrong and guide our efforts to heal problems when they occur. Symptoms and disease are messages of imbalance - addressing the Five Keys to Staying Healthy can resolve many issues.